Vaccinating Emus for EEE - Aug 12, 2009
The following is a reprinted press release from the AEA
Mosquito season always brings with it the threat of mosquito-borne disease. For the emu farmer, this includes the danger of their flock picking up Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). EEE is known to occur in many species of birds, horses and even man. Signs of EEE in emu include sudden onset of weakness, staggering, bloody diarrhea and rapid death, usually within 24 hours of first onset of symptoms. The virus can be "shed" in feces, blood or vomit. Humans can pick up this disease through contact with the virus through mucous membranes and/or open wounds so, caution should be used when handling the carcasses.
Fortunately, there is a vaccine available to prevent EEE in emu, the same one that is used for horses. "The farmer should know that giving an equine product is off label and there is always a possibility of a vaccine reaction," says Thomas N. Tully, Jr., DVM, MS. Dr. Tully reports that such reactions are rare, but that the farmer should be aware that it could happen. "A complete equine dose should be injected in the leg muscle using appropriate restraint and aseptic technique," said Dr. Tully. According to Dr. Tully, the equine vaccine may safely contain equine tetanus, but should NOT be manufactured from cell culture or contain equine influenza vaccine (this could cause a false positive reading for avian influenza). The vaccine can be multivalent EEE, WEE, and VEE.
The known benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks when considering the possibility of an EEE outbreak. In addition to the possible danger to you and your family, you can lose an entire emu